FOUNDATION FOR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE
IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
FINAL REPORT TO
HOUSTON ENDOWMENT, INC.
Organization Name:
Foundation for Professional Excellence in the Community College
(FPECC)
Texas Community College Teachers Association (TCCTA)
5113 Southwest Parkway, Suite 185
Austin, TX 78735
(512) 328-2044
Patsy Lemaster, Project Director, (806)-371-5254
Richard Moore, Executive Director, TCCTA (512) 328-2044
Report Due Date:
July 31, 2005
Date Project Completed:
August 31, 2005 with ongoing projects and activities
Grant Funds Received:
$100,000.00
Grant Funds Expended:
$100,000.00
Total Project Cost:
$100,000.00
Has the purpose of the grant been achieved? Please elaborate
a.
If yes, please provide concrete examples.
b.
If no, please indicate those variables that prevailed against success.
Objective One to secure administrative and clerical assistance has been achieved. The
beginning stages of Objectives Two and Three, creating and implementing the plan and TXPOD
(Texas Council for Professional and Organizational Development), are in place but much work
remains to be done. Members of a Strategic Plan Committee have formulated broad ideas with
regard to the strategies and goals for the TXPOD Group. This group is now poised to begin
working toward an effective statewide collaboration for training of professional and
organizational development (POD) directors. Working with and bringing together such a widely
dispersed and diverse group has been a more lengthy procedure than expected. Therefore, the
process of organizing and mobilizing the TXPOD group is not as far along as anticipated.
Brief descriptions of the Objectives and accomplishments to date are detailed below.
Objective 1: Secure Administrative and Clerical Assistance
By September 2004, all staff had been hired. Project personnel are:
Project Director –
Patsy Lemaster, Director
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Professional & Organizational Director
Amarillo College
Assistant Project Director -
Joy Brenneman
67% assigned to Foundation
33% assigned to Amarillo College
Program Assistant:
Marcos Molina
100% assigned to Foundation
Richard Moore, Executive Director for TCCTA and Marcos Molina traveled to Amarillo,
Texas for a Foundation staff meeting with Patsy Lemaster and Joy Brenneman on September 23,
2004. Following introductions, topics of discussion at this meeting included a description of the
project, the revision of timelines, and explanations of goals and activities for the year. Because
all personnel were not in place until mid-September, the timelines originally submitted with the
grant were revised. (A copy of the amended timelines are included with this report.)
Objective 2: Create the Plan – Statewide, Cooperative Planning for Professional Excellence,
Educational Leadership, and Lifelong Learning
In October 2004 the FPECC Board and Staff met in Austin at TCCTA’s Conference for
Faculty Leaders for an update and planning session. After introductions, discussion centered on
determining ideas for future Foundation projects. Changes to the Foundation’s by-laws were
presented and approved. (See copy of minutes included.)
A letter to institutional presidents introducing the Foundation and advising them of a
survey to follow was sent in November of 2004. With assistance from the Amarillo College
Library staff, Foundation staff researched possible survey formats and content. Survey questions
were compiled and refined, and the completed survey was distributed via email to all
professional and organizational directors and/or presidents of Texas two-year colleges. Seventyeight institutions received the survey and 54, or 69%, responded. Between November 2004 and
January 2005, data from the survey was collected, compiled, and evaluated. These results are
currently being used as a resource to identify projects and activities targeted to meet the needs of
survey respondents. (A copy of the survey and results is included.)
The focus in January 2005 was the creation of a Strategic Plan Committee (SPC). This
volunteer committee, comprised of professional and organizational development directors from
six different Texas colleges and the FPECC staff, met on January 27th in Austin to discuss survey
results, identify short- and long-term goals, and recommend programs/activities for the
collaborative group yet to be formed. SPC members also assisted with planning and facilitating
a POD Directors’ Workshop conducted at TCCTA’s annual convention in February. (A list of
the SPC members is enclosed along with results from their discussions at the January 27, 2005
meeting and the minutes from this meeting.)
Objective 3: Create TXPOD and Implement TXPOD’s Organizational Structure
In a cooperative effort with entities serving the interests of professional and
organizational development across the state, a statewide directory for representatives working
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with POD programs was compiled. This resource has been used throughout the project year to
increase communication among institutions. These representatives received, via email, the
results of the survey and all were invited to attend a workshop conducted at TCCTA’s Annual
Convention on Friday, February 18, 2005. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together
POD representatives from across the state, introduce the Foundation’s project to them, and
encourage the participants to “brain-storm” ideas and direction for this newly formed group.
Approximately 30 participants met to collaborate, share ideas, and plan future events. At least
ten additional POD directors expressed interest in the project but were unable to attend the
workshop. In all, thirty Texas institutions are represented by these individuals. The participants
were enthusiastic in their support of the workshop and creation of the TXPOD group. The group
was divided into three smaller groups, which each discussed their ideas for a vision, priorities for
statewide POD training, and resources. Training ideas for two-year college faculty,
administrators, staff, and POD directors were considered. (The results of these discussions are
included with this report.)
Another outcome of the group meeting in February was the creation of a website for
Texas POD directors. A website has been created and may be found on the web at
www.fpecc.org. FPECC’s website provides a network for POD directors and includes an
announcement page, discussion forum, resource sharing, directory of staff and Strategic Plan
Committee members, and links to professional and organizational websites. The resource
sharing section offers examples of course descriptions from individual institutions, links to
StarLink programs, and POD plans. Another highlight of the website’s homepage is current
topics and items for discussion (blogs).
The Foundation Board and staff met on February 19, 2005 during TCCTA’s conference.
The Foundation staff reported on the results of the POD workshop held the day before. Terms of
membership, fees and dues were formulated and discussed. The main topics of this Board
meeting were extending invitations to external individuals to serve on the Board and additional
funding opportunities for the Foundation. Three individuals were identified as possible new
Board members and were to be contacted by current Board members. Responses from those
contacted are pending. A new project for the Foundation involving Development Education was
proposed, and a description of this project is found at the end of this report. (Minutes of this
Board meeting are included.)
Are there any special positive outcomes from the grant that were unforeseen?
A need for this project and a desire among POD directors to work towards its realization
was expected. The excitement generated at the workshop during TCCTA’s conference was
confirmation that POD directors recognize the benefit of a collaborative effort among Texas
POD directors to share resources and ideas. The group who met in Austin in February will form
the nucleus for TXPOD as Objective Three continues through the implementation stage.
Did you encounter unexpected difficulties? If yes, please elaborate.
As stated earlier, the difficulty in getting Texas POD directors together has resulted in the
project moving forward at a slower pace than expected. Results of the November 2004 survey
indicate that 75% of Texas POD directors have additional job titles and that POD responsibilities
are only 50% of their duties, 45% have no full-time employees dedicated to POD, and 55% have
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budgets under $30,000. Travel and time constraints are critical issues for these participants
making implementation of the Foundation’s project more complex.
Is it possible to determine how many people have been significantly impacted or directly
benefited from the project which the grant supported? Please be specific.
Those who participated in the survey and attended the workshop in February have been
exposed to others like them in similar positions and situations throughout Texas’ two-year
institutions. They have recognized common goals and needs. As TXPOD becomes active,
Texas POD directors will perceive a definite impact on learning opportunities for POD directors
which will translate into training for faculty and staff at their institutions leading to increased
student retention and success. The potential impact of this project will be far-reaching as
activities and projects for training throughout the state become available.
Please comment on any new or unexpected support for this project.
To date, the Foundation has not received additional funding. A proposal to the Meadows
Foundation is pending and a letter of inquiry has been sent to the Sid Richardson Foundation for
review.
Attach a breakdown of how the grant funds were spent. Were any grant funds spent for a
purpose or purposes other than those stated in the grant application?
TCCTA (Richard) include budget here.
Additional information or documentation regarding the grant (e.g., resulting publications,
conference or meeting programs, award announcements, etc.)
In November 2006, TXPOD will host the 2006 International Conference of the National
Council for Staff, Program and Organizational Development (NCSPOD) in Fort Worth, Texas.
NCSPOD, an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC),
has accepted TXPOD’s invitation to host the conference. Texas POD directors will have a
chance to network with experts from throughout the nation while volunteering their time and
services to make the conference a success.
Two future projects identified for the Foundation include the following:
1.
Creation of a strategic plan for the Foundation using environmental scanning to
analyze organizational management, major trends, instructional conditions,
demographics, and technological advances related to two-year colleges in Texas.
This information will then be used to design future programs and activities of the
Foundation.
2.
Development of graduate-level training for institutional leaders and educators of
developmental education for at-risk/disadvantaged students. Dr. Gail Platt,
Director of the Teaching and Learning Center at South Plains College in
Levelland, Texas and immediate Past-President of TCCTA, has submitted a
proposal to Texas Higher Education Commissioner Raymond Paredes. FPECC
and TCCTA will work in collaboration with Texas Tech University’s Colleges of
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Education for Diversity Leadership and the Lubbock Independent School District
on this project.
A review of the past year reflects that many projects and goals of the grant have been
accomplished. Others have begun and are in the implementation stage. Much work remains to
be done as the Foundation grows and defines its purpose and function. The grant provided by
Houston Endowment has allowed the Foundation to begin implementing its first project of
creating the statewide, collaborative group of POD directors. A foundation has been created for
the future work of the Texas Council for Professional and Organizational Development.
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